Lesson IX

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      Our last lesson closed just as we were about to consider and examine into the Theory of Intuition or Conscience—the second pillar supporting the edifice of Dharma. We will now take up the subject at that point.

      Every man is more or less conscious of an inner voice—a 'knowing' apparently independent of his Intellect. This voice speaks to him either in an authoritative or a coaxing tone—either commands him to do so and so, or to refrain from doing something. Sometimes it impels him to higher action, and sometimes it seems to tempt him to perform an unworthy act. In its higher phases, we call this voice 'conscience.' In its lower phases, we are apt to regard it as 'temptation.' The old tales held that each man had a good angel on one side of him, and a bad one on the other, one whispering into his ear telling him to do the 'right' thing, and the other urging him to do the 'wrong' one. The old tales symbolize the truth, as we shall see as we proceed with our consideration of the matter.

      In addition to the 'voice of conscience,' or the 'urging of the tempter,' we find that there is a 'leading' in matters of ordinary action and conduct in which the question of 'good' and 'bad' does not arise—the decision upon some of the affairs of ordinary life, work, business, etc. This third manifestation we are apt to call 'intuition.' Many people use the three terms and have a clear understanding of the difference between each form of manifestation, but are unable to explain just what these promptings are, or from whence they come. The Yogi Philosophy offers an explanation, and Dharma depends to some extent upon that explanation, as it rests partially upon the pillar of Conscience or Intuition—the second pillar—the first pillar beiing Revelation; the third being Utility. These three pillars represent, respectively, the voice of The Lord; the voice of man's intuitive faculties; and the voice of man's reason. Let us now see what the Yogi Philosophy has to say regarding this question of Intuition, and the nature of the message coming from that part of the soul.

      In order to understand the nature of Conscience, Intuition, Temptation and other feelings coming into the field of consciousness from the subconscious regions of the mind, we must turn back a few pages in our lessons. In the first series of The Yogi Lessons (generally known as 'The Fourteen Lessons'), in The Second and Third Lessons, we told you something about the different 'minds' in man—the different planes along which the mind of man functions. You will remember what we said about the Instinctive Mind, the Intellect, and the Spiritual Mind. We have spoken of them repeatedly in the several lessons comprising the first course, and the present course of lessons, and we trust that you have a fair understanding of the nature of each.

      'Temptations,' or the impulse to do 'evil' or 'wrong' things, come from the lower regions of the mind—that part of the Instinctive Mind that has to do with the animal passions, tendencies, emotions, etc. These passions, emotions, tendencies, etc., are our inheritance from the past. They are not 'bad' in themselves, except that they belong to a part of our soul history which we have left behind us, or out of which we are now emerging. These things may have been the highest 'good' possible to our mental conception at some time in the history of our evolution—may have been necessary for our well-being at that time—may have been much better than other states of feeling and acting which we passed, and accordingly may have seemed to our minds at that time as the voice of the higher self beating down upon the lower consciousness. These things are comparative, you must remember. But, now that we have passed beyond the stage in which these things were the highest good, and have unfolded sufficiently to take advantage of higher conceptions of truth, these old things seem quite 'bad' and 'wrong' to us, and when they come into the field of consciousness from these lower regions of the mind, we shudder at the thought that we have so much of the brute still in us. But there is no need to feel that we are 'wicked' because these thoughts and impulses arise within us. They are our inheritance from the past, and are reminiscences of the 'brute' stage of our unfoldment. They are voices from the past. If you feel the struggles of the brute within you to be unleashed, do not be disturbed. The fact that you can see him now as something different from your normal self, is encouraging. Formerly you were the brute—now you see him as only a part of you—a little later on, you will cast him off altogether. Read what we have said of the subject in Lesson I of the present series of lessons. In other parts of the present lesson we will take up the subject of the comparative nature of 'right' and 'wrong,' so that you may see how it is that a thing that was once 'right' may now be 'wrong'—how what seems to be very 'good' and 'right' just now will appear 'bad' and 'wrong' later on in our unfoldment (that is speaking relatively, for when we unfold we begin to see that 'right' and 'wrong' and 'good' and 'bad' are relative terms, and that there is no such thing as 'bad' viewed from the Absolute. And yet, as we progress, the things we outgrow are 'bad,' and those into which we are growing seem 'good' until they too are discarded). All that we wish to do now is to point out to you that 'temptation' is merely the urge of some past experience for repetition, because the tendency is not entirely dead. It raises its head because of the flickering of expiring life, or because the dying thing has been aroused by some outside suggestion or circumstance. Let the beasts die, and do not become alarmed at their struggles.

      Intuition may come either from the impulses of the Spiritual Mind projecting itself into the field of consciousness, or from the subconscious region of the Intellect. In the latter case, the Intellect has been working out some problems without bothering the consciousness, and having worked the matter into shape, presents it to the consciousness at the needed time, carrying with it an air of authority that causes it to be accepted. But many intuitions come to us from the Spiritual Mind, which does not 'think' but 'knows.' The Spiritual Mind gives us, always, the best that we are able to accept from it, according to our stage of unfoldment. It is anxious for our real welfare, and is ready and willing to aid and guide us, if we will allow it. We cannot go into the subject now, and merely mention it to show the shades of difference between Intuition and Conscience. Conscience deals with questions of 'right' and 'wrong' in our minds, but Intuition deals with questions of proper action in our lives, without regard to ethics or morals, although not contrary to the best we know of those things. Conscience informs us as to whether or not a thing conforms to the highets ethical standards possible to us in our present unfoldment—Inuition tells us whether a certain step or course is wise for our best good. Do you see the difference?

      Conscience is the light of the Spiritual Mind, passing through the screen of enfolding sheaths of our soul. This is a clumsy defintion, which we must endeavor to make clearer. The light of the Spiritual Mind is constantly endeavoring to work its way to the lower mental planes, and some of its light reaches even the lowest regions, but the light is seen but dimly at such times, owing to the confining sheaths of the lower nature which prevent the light from shining through. As sheath after sheath is cast off, the light is seen more clearly, not that it moves toward the soul, but because the centre of consciousness is moving toward the Spirit. It is like a flower that is casting off its outer petals, and dropping them to the ground as they unfold. In the center of the flower let us suppose there is something possessing light, which light is endeavoring to force its way through to the extreme rim or row of petals, and beyond. As the successive layers, or petals, fall off, the light is enabled to reach the remaining ones—and at the end all is light. This is a forced figure of speech but we are compelled to use such. Let us take another, equally clumsy, but which may be plainer to you. Imagine a tiny, but strong, electric light bulb confined in many wrappings of cloth. The light is the Spirit—the glass bulb the Spiritual Mind, through which the Spirit shines